188 THE FUTURE OF ARID LANDS 
Social Change and Needs 
In this brief review it has been possible to say little about the 
cultivated land in the arid and semi-arid regions under review. 
Much of this land is marginal for crop cultivation, some is farmed 
on a semi-desert type of shifting cultivation, and the remainder 
can be regarded as suitable for crop cultivation with the adoption 
of modern methods of husbandry, the application of fertilizers, 
and the use of adapted species. Again we have to accept the fact 
that peoples are living in these areas and have to produce their 
own requirements locally. 
And that is the note upon which this review may be concluded. 
The technicians know in many cases what may theoretically be 
done to maintain and even increase the production of resources 
under semi-arid conditions or how to reduce the severity of these 
conditions. But this is like trying to rebuild the highway while 
the traffic is still moving on it. Throughout these regions are to 
be found graziers and farmers with long experience of maintain- 
ing themselves and their crops and animals under some of the 
most difficult and rigorous conditions to be found anywhere. 
They know fairly well the systems of animal husbandry and 
migration to adopt under the circumstances, they know the rela- 
tive value and availability of their semi-desert fodder plants, 
they know the best grazing areas and go there as soon as news 
comes along the desert grapevine that a rain has fallen and growth 
is beginning. The technicians must at all times consider them 
and their knowledge, customs, and needs, and adopt measures 
of improvement which fit in with their social and land use sys- 
tems and appear practicable to them. The people on their part 
must lose their mistrust and suspicion of the technician, whether 
he be sociologist, ecologist, animal husbandman, forester, or irri- 
gation engineer. They must realize that what is being attempted, 
always dificult and sometimes impossible, is for their own ulti- 
mate good. If they cooperate and offer friendly advice and 
criticism when they see the technicians going wrong, there is no 
doubt that great progress can be made in the rehabilitation of 
these semi-arid lands. 
